Page 69 of Betrothed To Love

Deuce places the bag of chips on the table and sits up. I swear they all sit up and glare at me. They are probably hoping my words might change but they won’t. I said what I said, Asali cheated on Shuga.

“It’s true and Shuga is fucking heartbroken. Like real shit devastated. I’ve never seen her like this. She couldn’t stop crying,” I say while shaking my head at the memory of her distraught.

Standing, Ace announces, “I’m going over there.”

“Don’t. She kicked me out because she doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“Where Asali at? He not at the house, is he?” Tre asks.

“No. He’s not there. I don’t know where he is and it needs to stay that way with how I feel ’cause I want to hurt him for fucking Shuga over like that.”

“Nah, I’m going to hurt him,” Shiro assures.

“Not if I find his ass first,” Tre adds.

“We got a fucking sister. This nigga been living a whole ass double life, cheating and shit on our Shuga. What the fuck!” Deuce says. “I woke up for this shit.”

“Who is the woman? Is she here in Diamond Falls? And what about the girl? Shit…We got a gotdamn sister,” Ace says. “All that shit he preached to us about marrying the woman who needs you. A real man takes care of his wife and kids. Bullshit. All of it. Is the nigga even taking care of the girl?” Ace fires off my exact same thoughts and apparently Shiro’s too.

“Exactly!” Shiro adds.

“Shuga really didn’t want to talk about it, so she didn’t say much. But I’m going to have my investigator see what she can find about our sister.”

“Nigga, that’s yo’ sister,” Tre says out of anger. “My siblings are all in this damn room and nowhere else.”

“She didn’t do shit to us,” Ace says. “Don’t be like that.”

“I’ll be like the fuck I want to be,” Tre utters.

“Look. I’m going to Shuga’s. I can’t sit here and not check on her,” Ace says. “When you find out the shit from your investigator, hit me.” Against my warning that Shuga doesn’t want to talk, Ace walks out.

Deuce stands and gathers all his snacks. “I’m going back to damn bed. When you find out where Asali is, hit me,” he says, then leaves.

“I’m out too. This shit is wild. Let me know when you find him. Keep that sister shit to yo’ self,” Tre says. He stands, steps to me, and we dap.

“Ace is right though. The girl is innocent,” I tell him and he merely shakes his head then leaves.

“How bad is Shuga?” Shiro asks once it’s just us.

“Fucked up. Red, swollen eyes, couldn’t stop crying, sad, and really hurt. I just… I mean… She damn near made me cry. I’m telling you, that shit fucked with me; it’s still fucking with me, seeing her like that. Asali really broke her heart.”

“Shit,” he sighs. “That nigga…how did we not know?”

“I don’t know. This shit is wild,” I say and he sighs loud as hell.

“If I see that nigga, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he says, then stands. So do I. “I’m dipping too. After work, I’m going to check on Shuga. I know what you said but I got to lay eyes on her,” he says.

“I knew you would. I’m walking out with you.”

After turning off the light in the living room, I quickly check my kitchen to make sure Deuce didn’t leave shit all over the place. He didn’t, so I set my alarm and walk out with Shiro. We dap up and hug before he gets in his ride and I get in mine. Because I need something other than this whole fucked up situation on my mind, I FaceTime the two people I know will at least put a smile on my face.

Niya’s face fills the screen as she answers my wife’s phone. Whatever she’s doing, she has the phone extremely close to her cute little face.

“What you doing, baby girl?” I ask.

“Hold on, Daddy,” she says and my view changes to the ceiling. Seconds later, hers and my wife’s lovely faces are in my view. My smile returns. “Okay,” Niya says. “You in your truck?”

“Yeah. I’m headed back to y’all. Did y’all eat lunch? I can stop and get something.”